by Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was always going to be an emotional farewell to the cast as fans knew them, and it was, albeit not in the ways many anticipated.
Major Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 spoilers are there in this article.
Character deaths that seemed inevitable have been the subject of fan theories, with Rocket and Drax being the most obvious candidates. In what has since been proved to be a cunning deception, filmmaker James Gunn even appeared to confirm this.
Gunn implied that either Rocket or Drax would die, but he only said that one of them would give their lives. At various points, both characters make an effort to kill themselves, with Rocket appearing to pass out briefly before being revived, yet they both survive.
In fact, every significant member of the Guardians of the Galaxy survives the film. But that doesn’t mean Guardians 3 didn’t succeed emotionally, and it also doesn’t mean there weren’t any major casualties in the film.
In Guardians of the Galaxy 3, who perishes?
There are a few casualties in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 despite the fact that none of the Guardians themselves perish.
The High Evolutionary utilises Orgo Corp as his business front to carry out his experiments, but there are simply too many of them to keep track of, thus they are not included in this list.
The character played by Jonathan Mercedes who is referred to as “Gamora Shoots This Guy!” in the movie’s credits should receive special recognition for the name alone, as well as Judy Greer’s War Pig, who was relatively unceremoniously beheaded by Adam Warlock.
1.) Lylla
Despite her admittedly limited screen time, the otter Lylla, voiced by Linda Cardellini, is certain to become a cherished character. Another of the High Evolutionary’s experiments in Batch 89 is the talking otter, who served as Rocket’s first companion, his eventual love interest, and the one who genuinely taught him what being adopted may mean.
After learning that everyone in Batch 89 except for Rocket will be slaughtered, Rocket comes up with a plan to bring them to safety in one of the film’s most violent scenes. Lylla is shot seriously by the High Evolutionary as soon as she takes foot outside the metal bars after he frees himself and Lylla from their cages. Rocket kills the guards with the first weapon he ever uses—the one that killed Lylla—and then flees the institution.
Later in the film, when Rocket is on the verge of death, Lylla and the other two Batch 89 members appear to him in the vast white space and call him to fly away with them. She informs him, however, that his time on earth is still young and that one day they will all be reunited, before he can accept.
2.) Floor, and 3.) Teefs
In the viscerally moving flashbacks to Rocket’s time with the High Evolutionary, Teefs the walrus (Asim Chaudhry) and Floor the bunny (Mikaela Hoover), the other two animals in Batch 89, provide some comparatively light humour.
Since they are only referred to as designation numbers by those experimenting on them, each companion in Batch 89 chose their own names. While Lylla does not provide an explanation for why she chose her name, Rocket, Teefs, and Floor do so. Rocket chooses his name because he wants to travel in a rocket with all of his pals, Teefs because they are more noticeable on him than on anybody else, and Floor because they are all lying on the floor as they choose names.
Guards working for the High Evolutionary enter the area containing the cages after Lylla dies, rifles blazing. They fire from behind Rocket while he is shooting at them, killing Teefs and Floor. Teefs and Floor are with Lylla when Rocket sees her just before being sent back to the living world, waiting to take off together.
4.) Ayesha
Along with the planet and stronghold of the High Evolutionary, the Sovereign’s leader Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), who was first introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, is somewhat unceremoniously eliminated.
The Sovereign, the haughty gold people of which Adam Warlock is a member, were actually created by the High Evolutionary, as was revealed in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Ayesha, who is technically Adam’s mother, spends a significant portion of the film helping her son reach his potential.
5.)The High Evolutionary (Possibly)
The High Evolutionary is one of the most violent antagonists in Marvel’s history; actor Chukwudi Iwuji called him a “villain with a God complex” at the movie’s international press conference.
The High Evolutionary is abandoned by the Guardians after being unmasked like a Scooby-Doo villain by them at the conclusion of the film, revealing himself to have an ugly visage covered up in his desire for perfection. However, Rocket purposefully does not kill him on principle. It is officially uncertain if the villain survived the final annihilation because the camera is focused on the Guardians exiting the now-exploding base.
Fans would be tempted to declare him dead because, in addition to the wounds he received in his battle with the Guardians, no one could survive that, but in the world of comic books, it’s frequently true to state that until viewers see a body, no one is truly dead.
What Are the Other Guardians Doing?
The Guardians all split up as the credits rolled, but there’s always a chance that at least some of this motley crew of misfits will eventually officially reconnect, as they do hint at in the movie as being a tiny possibility.
Where are they all now, then?
Peter Quill’s Star-Lord
Peter Quill returns to earth and meets up with his grandfather in what might be one of the most satisfyingly full-circle moments in MCU history. It’s time for Quill to return to the grandfather he abandoned years ago after running for so long, looking for himself, and finally finding his family.
When Peter is greeted at the entrance by “Grandma Quill,” as stated in the credits, she confirms that he was given the name Jason Quill after a relative. When Peter’s grandfather sees that his missing grandson is back home, he walks over to the elderly guy and smiles.
The movie’s final line, “the legendary Star-Lord will return,” suggests that Quill’s saga is still unfolding.
Gamora
She is technically with the original Guardians squad as the movie begins and ends, but she changes throughout. She comes to realise that her team has the potential to become her real family. Even though they don’t end up being the primary Guardians for this new Gamora, the squad of Ravagers who came before them poetically is.
Gamora is well-positioned to cling to her new team and family after being greeted with embraces and love upon board the ship.
Mantis
At the conclusion of the film, Mantis departs on her own like her brother. Mantis is pursuing her own desires, not what Ego or the Guardians desire for her, aided by her dependable new Abilisk pals whom she met during the movie.
As she takes this decision for herself and her destiny, Mantis’ development from her initial appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to the present is plainly visible. She is aware of how much she values her team and her new family, but she is eager to identify her own personal objectives rather than simply doing as others advise.
Drax and Nebula
After the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nebula and Drax move on to create a new society in Knowhere for the children and creatures the High Evolutionary had imprisoned as well as the locals currently residing there. Nebula explicitly calls attention to Drax’s demonstrated capacity to relate to children, as he did previously in the film, and claims that she needs him to build the civilization they want to build.
Given that Dave Bautista retired from the role and there was a lot of speculation, the fact that Drax is still alive by the end of the movie is probably a surprise to many fans. Even though it is unlikely that Drax will return in a significant way, it is comforting to know that he is still alive and working with his comrade Nebula to create a better world for those who need it by acting more like a “dad” than a “destroyer,” as his teammate puts it.
Rocket
Rocket comes to be proud of who he is and has become after discovering his horribly emotional origins, as he has incorporated aspects of both his physiology and his experiment-based evolutions. After years of adamantly claiming he is not a raccoon, he ultimately referred to himself as “Rocket Raccoon,” his name in Marvel Comics and a representation of both who he decided to be (“Rocket”) and who he was born as (a “raccoon”).
After years of friendly competition between Peter Quill and Rocket, Rocket was given the responsibility of leading the new version of the Guardians of the Galaxy team and was finally given the title of “captain” by him.
Groot
Groot, one of Rocket’s new Guardians, stunned viewers by saying “I love you guys” to his former crew in his farewell on-screen comments. That’s correct; aside from the “We are Groot” in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, spectators don’t hear “I am Groot” everytime the tree speaks.
The film’s director, James Gunn, verified this after the film’s debut that this is not Groot actually saying anything other than “I am Groot,” but rather a demonstration of how the audience can now comprehend Groot, just like the rest of the team. In a sense, the audience has joined the Guardians clan.
In the first post-credits sequence, Groot can be seen fighting alongside the rest of the new Guardians team, having grown enormously over the size of “Alpha-Groot” from the remainder of the film.
Adam Warlock, Cosmo, and Kraglin
On the new Guardians team, Kraglin, Cosmo, and Adam Warlock join Rocket, Groot, and Phyla, a comic book character who made her film debut in Guardians 3. They get along with their leader over music.
In a symbolic moment of passing the torch, Rocket sings along with this new crew to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love,” which Peter Quill memorably danced and sang along to in the original Guardians of the Galaxy film.
Kevin Bacon is a bonus
Despite not being a true Guardian, Kevin Bacon does have his fate explained in the movie as a result of his presence in the holiday special for The Guardians of the Galaxy. Quill’s grandfather can be seen reading a newspaper in the second post-credits scene. One of the articles is captioned “Alien Abduction: Kevin Bacon Shares All.“
Will All the Guardians Ever Come Back?
Since none of the Guardians truly perished in the third movie, it’s always possible that the adored characters will return, even for cameos or background appearances.
Yondu, who did pass away in the second movie, made a brief appearance in Guardians 3, and pictures of the late Stan Lee, Ego, and Thor could be seen in the credits.
The reason for Rocket’s new team is that “the galaxy still needs its Guardians,” as it is stated in the film. Additionally, the statement “the legendary Star-Lord will return” doesn’t allow much room for interpretation.
All of this serves to indicate that these characters may not have reached their final chapter.
In theatres now is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
